Golf in Sauldre and Sologne: Nançay or Aubigny's golf en campagne

Two experiences sharing one word

Sauldre and Sologne offers two very different ways to play. Golf des Étoiles, at Domaine de Samord in Nançay, is a conventional nine-hole golf course with a practice area and clubhouse. Golf en campagne, on route d’Oizon in Aubigny-sur-Nère, is an eleven-hole public layout around the sports park and ponds, intended for informal play.

They are not interchangeable. A golfer wanting a reserved tee time, their own clubs and a round within the normal framework of a golf club will generally choose Nançay. A family, beginner or group seeking a lighter introduction may prefer Aubigny, provided they first check how equipment is obtained and what rules apply that day.

Golf des Étoiles: organise a proper round

The Golf des Étoiles website describes a wooded nine-hole course together with practice facilities, instruction, services and green-fee booking. The tourist office’s current official listing places the entrance at Domaine de Samord, route de Bourges, 18330 Nançay and describes a course beside ponds for different standards of player.

Before booking, give the number of players and ask what is required: playing standard, licence or insurance, arrival time, grouping and expected pace. Check the charges for the course, practice, a lesson, trolley, buggy or club hire, and food separately. An item shown on a website is not guaranteed to be available without reservation.

Course, clubhouse and restaurant hours need not be identical. Consult the golf’s own pages for your date and confirm a tee time when the round is the reason for travelling. Heavy rain, frost, heat or maintenance can change course and buggy access even when reception remains contactable.

Golf en campagne: a free introduction whose operation needs checking

The current golf en campagne listing advertises eleven holes around Aubigny’s sports park, in a wooded setting near ponds, with free access. That does not make it a standard golf course with the ticket desk removed. Equipment, ball type, maintenance, starting point and any temporary unavailability should be checked with the tourist office.

Contact the office before arriving without equipment and ask where and when to collect whatever is currently supplied. Do not use a hard golf ball if the setup requires foam balls or another safety-minded form of play. The course occupies a shared leisure environment: wait until walkers, children and other users are safely out of range, follow the hole order and stop if the situation is unclear.

This format suits a short introduction. It lets players explore stance, direction and touch without turning the outing into a competition. It does not replace either coached instruction or a conventional round for someone wanting to practise distance, bunkers, putting and course strategy under standard conditions.

Which one should you choose?

Choose Nançay for a structured round, practice, a reserved tee time or club services. Choose Aubigny for a flexible introduction, family session or an activity easily joined to the park and town centre. In both cases, ask for a realistic duration for your group rather than applying a universal estimate.

For children, do not assume that “open to all” means unsupervised, without an age consideration or without suitable equipment. Ask what works for their height and experience. Visitors with reduced mobility should check parking, terrain, distance, toilets and assistance options. A landscape that looks level in a photograph cannot describe every path.

Clothing, weather and respect for the site

Wear stable shoes suitable for damp grass and clothes that permit rotation. Carry water, sun protection or a waterproof layer according to the forecast. A thunderstorm means ending an exposed activity immediately: follow the operator’s instructions and do not shelter beneath an isolated tree while carrying metal clubs.

Respect the ground, replace or repair what the local rules require, and never enter a closed section. Ponds and woodland edges contribute to the setting but are not shortcuts or places to recover a ball at any cost. At Nançay, follow club etiquette; at Aubigny, give absolute priority to other sports-park users.

After golf en campagne, the Nère walk leads naturally towards Aubigny-sur-Nère. From Golf des Étoiles, select just one continuation in Nançay — village, gallery or a session already booked — and retain enough margin. The best plan is not the one with the most holes and visits, but the one whose timing and level genuinely match the group.